Rey Campero Espadín Mezcal

Thin body, clear as water. Tons of info on the bottle. Candelaria Yegolé village, copper still, 2 distillations with a handwritten lot D5030-E (1675 of 3945 bottles), handwritten date of Dec 2019 and appears to be hand signed by the Maestro Mescalero Rómulo Sánchez Parada. Salt for days, agave, clay, aloeswood, lime, passion fruit, leather, gravel, gasoline. Up front a burst of ash and smoke hit the palate (like a grill that isn’t been scraped in a good long while). As the char subsides a substantial amount of agave sweetness and coconut water emerge alongside toasted cedar, jalapeño, and mineral note with a dash of “freshly opened can of tennis balls.” Interesting. This has a nice balance - no one note crushes the other. There is little to no burn going down but a swell of warmth afterword. The finish goes back and forth between tar, leather and earthy, toasted agave sugars. The lime and a bit of grilled bell pepper pop back in to play a supporting role. This is less vegetal, less tar laden and generally more approachable than Del Maguey Chichicapa. That said I don’t find it to be less interesting or less complex, maybe just the opposite. Furthermore it’s roughly half the price at $45. I can see myself pouting this again and again then replacing the bottle once it’s gone. I’m gonna prematurely dub this the Talisker of Mezcals.

I have almost no experience with mezcal. Time to fix that. Tasted neat from a small snifter. The nose is quite vegetal and complex. Agave, cactus, succulents, green olive, ethanol, and a sweet element that reminds me of fennel seed. There's also a whiff of bay leaves and a sour note that rides in the background. On the tongue the first impression is sweet and smoky that's followed by a mild pepper and alcohol bite. I am immediately reminded of a light Isle scotch. The finish is long and slightly warming. There's a bitter vegetal note riding over a sweet chord. Mouthfeel is rich and creamy. Clearly I need more experience with mezcal but I like this one so far. Any rating I give should be tempered with the knowledge that I haven't critically considered mezcal before this. I do hope this one is representative of the category, however. I like it!

Really tasty stuff! This is a good place for mezcal newbies to start. I wish I would've started with a fine selection like this. Its plenty complex, rich and flavorful that experienced mezcal drinkers will keep a bottle in their collection. Tequila lovers of the ArteNom blancos will love this too. Full but soft nose with a fruity and herbal effervescence that leads to pleasant cooked agave with mint upfront and a sweetness mid palate that leads to a clean and crisp long, smooth finish that lets your shoulders relax and your troubles slip further away with every sip.

A great way to get into sipping mezcals if you want something a little more gentle. Reasonably priced, reasonably available... made in an authentic way with a nice balanced profile that is reminiscent of some tequilas - good agave as the backbone, light pepper, flowers, citrus, with smoke levels that lay just beneath everything to add delicacy and complexity. Clean, not esoteric. Not great for mixing as it is perhaps a touch delicate.

A delicate, Mezcal by Rómulo Sánchez Parada for Destilería Herencia de Sánchez NOM-O185X in Oaxaca, Mexico. It has an aromatic birth with notes of fruit, agave, Tepache, straw & olive brine; while a delicate life adds notes of smoke, corn, orange peel, marshmallow & hoja santa; that led to a short & rich death with hints of botanicals, fresh herbs, spice, oregano, tobacco & clay. August / December 2018 / December 2020 / January 2021

Smooth, fruity and a little bit of smoke. This is a very inoffensive Mezcal that would be a great entry point into Mezcal. This absolutely brilliant for the price. I wouldn't mix this with anything and would enjoy sipping this at room temperature on a 100F Texas afternoon.